Asymmetrical electrical resistance



(No Model.)

T. D. BOTTOME. ASYMMETRICAL ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE. No. 445,687.

Patented Feb. 3,1891.

UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

TURNER-D. BoTToME, or HOOSICK, NEW YORK.

ASYMMETRICAL ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE.

srscrrrcarron forming m of Letters Patent No. 445,687, and February 3,1891.

- Application filed January 28, 1890. Serial No. 338,433. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TURNER D. BOTTOME, a citizen of the United States,and aresident of lloosick, in the county of Rensselaer and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AsymmetricalElectrical Resistances, of which the following'is a specification.

'lhisinvention relates to electrical cond uctors; but it differs fromthe ordinary conducting substances, eiements, or devices in that adirect continuous electric current may be passed through the ordinaryconductors in either direction with equal facility and re sults; butwhen passed through the device known as an asymmetrical conductor thecurrent will flow freely when passed through it in one direction, butwill be resisted or nearly stopped when attempting to pass the samecurrent in a reverse direction.

. The object of this inventionis to produce an asymmetrical conductorthat can be used for practical purposes, especiallysuch as directingalternating currents into currents of .a continuous nature of but onedirection and suitable for energizing the field-magnets ofalternating-current dynamos, electrolytic 0perat-ions, &c. v

The invention consists, essentially, in an electrochemical device havingconductingplates of chemically inoxidizable element-s or metals immersedin a fluid conducting medium consisting largely or entirely of sulphuricacid or a solution of a sulphate. One of the conducting plates orelectrodes is composed particularly of metallic aluminum, while theother plate may be composed of almost any inoxidizable electricconducting metal or element, such as platinum, gold, or carbon.

In more fully describing my invention in its practical form referencemay be had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, wherein- Figure 1 represents the device contained in aninsulating-vessel. Fig. 2 shows the device self-contained. Fig. 3illustrates a modification of the foregoing, the diflierence being thatin this case a porous partition is used to separate the two conductingelements.

In Fig. 1, G represents a glass jar or other insulatingvcssel. Arepresents a conduct ing-plate composed of metallic aluminum.

P is a conductingelectrode composed of platinum, carbon, or otherinoxidizable element, while E shows the fluid conducting medi'um.

Fig. 2 shows the device without an insulating-vessel. In lieu: thereof Arepresents a containing-vessel composed of metallic aluminum, in whichis placed the fluid conductor E and the conducting-electrode P.

It is obvious that the containing-vessel may be constructed of theinoxidizable element 1 and contain a fluid conducting medium E, with aplate of aluminumAsuspended therein.

In Fig. 3, C shows a porous partition or ves" sel, in which either thealuminum conducting-plate A or the other ccnductingplate P may heplaced, while one or the other of the plates is placed outside of thevessel 0.

The fluid conducting medium E may vary considerably in its compositionand yet serve the purpose. It is not intended to perform the oiiice of adepolarizer or excitant, as is the case with fluid conducting mediums inprimary batteries. It is simply construed to be a compound conductingdevice composed of two conductors separated by a fluid medium. The saidmedium may be either a liquid, jelly, or semi-solid mass and serve thepurpose.

When the electrode A is electrically connected to the positive pole ofan electric generator supplying a continuous electric current and theelectrode P attached to the negative pole, upon passing a current for avery short period of time no unusual resistance wiil be offered by thedevice to the passage or" the current; but upon reversing the directionof the current and passing it as before for a very short period of timeit is found that only a small portion of the original current passes,owing to the high resistance the device offers to the current in thatdirection.

The exact reactions taking place during the operations of the device arenot perfectly understood; but it is supposed that the main action is duelargely to the peculiar nature of metallic aluminum under electrolyticaction and to the possible formation of a basic alu minum oxide ofinsulating properties upon the aluminum plates when the current passesin one direction and the decomposition of the said oxide into a solublesulphate when the current is passed in the other direction.

I do not limit myself to any special shape or size of the conductingelements used norto the form, as they may be in the form of grids,plates, wires, &c., without departing from the invention.

I do not limit myself to the strength or par-. ticular kind 0fthechemical condueting medium used, as there are several mixtures that maybe successfully used.

What It claim as myinventionis as follows:

1. An asymmetrical conductor consisting of a fluid medium composed ofchemical substances, through which an alternating electric current ispassed by means of two elec-. trical conducting-electrodes, both beingimmersed therein, one electrode consisting ofi an inoxidizablemetal orelement, the other of a metal that becomes superficially oxidized anddeoxidized alternately, substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

2. An asymmetrical electrical conductor consisting of two dissi milarelectrical conduct, ing metals, both inoxidizable while immersed in achemical conducting medium, one of the metals being subject tochanges'in its electrical conductance under the influence ofelectrochemical action, the other metal be- .ing inert, substantially asherein described. 30

Anasymmetrical conductor consisting of 'a chemical conducting mediumplaced between inoxidizable conducting elements, one of the saidelements being inert, the other having the property of having itselectrical "35 conductance changed from a' low toa high resistancealternately while subjected to the action of an alternating electriccurrent, substantially as described. l

4. An asymmetrical eondu'ctorcousisting of a device for directingalternating electric currents, composed of a'fiuid chemical conductingmedium interposed between a plate of some inert conducting metal orelement and. a plate'of aluminum, as described.

Signed at lloosick, in the county of Reusselaer and State of New York,this 25th day of January, A. D. 1890.

TURNER D. BOTTOME.

Witnesses:

D. V. J ONES, GEO. H. MYERS;

